More Dear Jane Blocks & Quilt Retreat!

I'm not sure how many years I'll be posting these Dear Jane blocks until I get a finished quilt but at least I am now past the halfway point - yay!! There are 225 blocks and I've finished 115. Our small group had a quilt retreat for a week and I got a lot accomplished that week.

 I had some ripping going on as the above corner triangles were all sewn incorrectly for starters. Oh well - life as a quilter.

 Four more triangles made . . .

Now this error took more than ripping. I had to make a whole new block. See how just a smidgen of being off with your 1/4" seam makes a difference with 4.5" blocks! The first one was TOO BIG and my friends would NOT let me get by with cutting all those outer points off - it would have looked pretty bad, wouldn't it have?? LOL! So, a REDO. Glad I did!

 Jane was working on her beautiful pineapple quilt - actually, just one of her projects.

Here is one of Nancy's projects - a patriotic quilt she had been saving to make for a while - turned out SO pretty!

 If you wonder why Nancy's quilts are so perfect - you can see above that she trims and resizes every block.

 This picture was not too clear but the quilt is beautiful - Gloria's curved blocks.

Wonda was making a large red and white scrappy quilt from a magazine pattern that when finished will have lots of stars in it!

 I did not get a picture of Gerry's blocks but she is making the Women of the Bible Quilt being shared at Little Quilts, using lots of batiks.

Happy Stitching!

Dear Jane Blocks and Camouflage Quilt

 I did manage to do a set in seam on this one! Maybe there is hope for my sewing skills - lol!

 Lots of appliqué to keep from piecing the curves.

 More applique . . .

and even more. Whoops, I see a tiny bit of red bleeding. May have to redo this block or at least try rinsing it again.

 This quilt was made for a special young man.

 I purchased the fabric on a Friday morning and made this quilt over the weekend.

 It was washed and to UPS by Monday afternoon.

 What a fun quilt to make and surprise a young man with some of his favorite interests on the quilt.

He was thrilled and I had the joy of making it for him! The pattern is Triple Treat Petite from Atkinson Designs book, Happy Hour. I resized the blocks to 12" for the size quilt I wanted to make. 

Dear Jane Again!

Here is one of the projects I've been working on recently - Dear Jane - 94 blocks complete!

 Most of these are from Row F. Sometimes it takes me about as long to figure out HOW I am going to sew these blocks as it does to actually do them.

 Now this one was simple!

 Did I mention that I really can't sew curves? Or set in seams? After 35 years??

 Pretty pitiful, isn't it. I am considering trying hand piecing again. I tried in the nineties and was unsuccessful, but I didn't do much hand appliqué then either. I use all different techniques because I really want them to look nice when I'm finished.

 I used the starch method on these tiny melons.

 I appliquéd the four red inset seams above because I can't sew set in seams well.

I appliquéd these little orange melons. This seems a little bright but I have some other oranges in the quilt so think it will blend well. My goal has been to make the quilt in colors/fabrics that Jane Stickle might have used originally before her quilt faded over the years, also personalizing it as I go. 

Happy Stitching and thanks for viewing my blog!

Dear Jane & Black & White BOM

 Last week I was able to get some more Dear Jane blocks completed.

 I needed to fill in the blanks on Row E, as I had chosen some of the simpler ones to sew first. Imagine that!!

 So now Rows A - E are complete, plus some more for a total of 85 blocks! Wahoo!! 

 Remember, these are 4.5" finished! I just like to do close-ups for the details.

 A little set in seam here.

And one more to complete the row!

 And now, the Black and White blocks I was working on. The alternate blocks surely change the look of this and the borders are on now, too. . . just not in the picture.

I had a coral colored back for this and then when I laid it under the white, realized it would shadow through so had to get another backing. Ugh!! I'll use the coral for something else now but hope to remember this lesson when using a lot of white. I should have known this by now but just another learning experience I suppose. 

Black & White BOM 2010

 In 2010, our small quilt group began this BOM at Quilts 'n Stitchins in Jonesboro. I collected my blocks - most of them - $1 each - and sewed two. Others finished their quilts years ago but mine were aging in their little plastic baggies.

 Last week I pulled them out and stitched what is on the design wall above. I had no more white on white fabric to finish the last two so I am waiting on more fabric. Plus, this is just the beginning . . .there are 13 alternate blocks, each being a 5-patch. I had to order some black and white and I cut the above into 3.5" squares from fabric I had on hand. This will be a queen sized quilt when completed. The good thing is the blocks are 15" so not too difficult.

Here are scraps left for the border which I still need to cut.

 Meanwhile, I stitched two more Dear Jane quilt blocks. This one and the one on the right below.

I am not very good at Y seams or curves but I managed in the purple one. I am over 1/3 of the way finished, meaning I only have 149 more blocks to go!

I stitched this Farmer's Wife blocks, too. It's funny how large the pieces seemed after working with Dear Jane. It is 6" finished and DJ is 4.5" finished. Quite a variety this week but all were enjoyable!

Stitch when you can!!